About the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms

If you find that you're too late for the main cherry blossoms, you might still be in luck with the Kwanzan cherry blossoms. They bloom a little later. There are fewer of the Kwanzans, but they're very pretty.

The most famous, oldest, and numerous, around the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park/Hains Point are the Yoshino cherry blossoms. There are over 1,400 of that variety around the Tidal Basin.

But there's more than one type of cherry blossom, and they don't all come out at exactly the same time. Around the Tidal Basin alone there are another 10 varieties of cherry tree.

The Kwanzan cherry blossoms are particularly pretty and typically come out a couple of weeks after the Yoshinos. Their average peak bloom date is around April 22, and the historical average (going back nearly a century) is that they reach peak bloom 15 days after the Yoshinos reach peak bloom. It does vary year to year, though, and sometimes it has been as little as 4 days later, while other times up to a month. So if you miss the end of the Yoshino cherry blossoms' bloom, the Kwanzans can offer a very pretty consolation.

They have a much darker pink, multilayered flower that looks a bit like a small rose. The trees themselves are quite low to the ground, so they're especially good for getting a close look at the flowers (or for posing next to in photos). And there are also far fewer people crowding around them.

Kwanzans are actually quite common in the region, and you'll notice them all over the place once you start looking. They can even in the most unlikely of places--there are actually quite a lot lining the I-66 highway, for instance--and they're popular in residential neighborhoods.

If you're down near the Tidal Basin, there's over 400 Kwanzan cherry trees split between a large grove and some smaller groves on Hains Point/East Potomac Park. They're on the side that's opposite the airport, next to the golf course. If you do the one-way circuit around the tip of Hains Point on Ohio Drive you'll see a long grove of them on your right and then another small grove at the intersection with Buckeye Drive near the US Park Police Headquarters.

If you're heading down to take photos of the ones next to East Potomac Park, they get the afternoon sun but are in the shade in the early morning. There are parking spots right next to them, and there are rarely many people about. If you're after morning sunlight, there are a half dozen or so next to the playing field in West Potomac Park along the bend of West Basin Drive.

Photos of the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms

How to Find the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms Peak Bloom

Here are the historical peak bloom dates for the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms. The data published by the NPS on this is incomplete, but this is what's available.

Based on this data, the Kwanzans reach peak bloom on average 15 days after the Yoshinos, but as you can see there is wide variation--sometimes it has been as little as 4 days later and sometimes as much as a month. Just as with the Yoshinos, temperatures are the big factor in determining the bloom's timing.

Yoshino

Kwanzan

Days Later

1921

March 20

April 17

28

1922

April 7

April 20

13

1923

April 9

April 22

13

1924

April 13

April 26

13

1925

March 27

April 15

19

1926

April 11

April 24

13

1927

March 20

April 20

31

1928

April 8

April 26

18

1929

March 31

April 14

14

1930

April 1

April 22

21

1931

April 11

April 20

9

1932

April 15

April 29

14

1933

April 9

April 23

14

1934

April 15

May 1

16

1935

April 1

April 26

25

1936

April 7

April 21

14

1937

April 14

April 26

12

1938

March 25

April 15

21

1939

March 30

April 14

15

1940

April 13

April 26

13

1941

April 12

April 25

13

1942

April 5

April 16

11

1943

April 4

April 17

13

1944

April 9

April 26

17

1945

March 20

March 28

8

1946

March 23

April 2

10

1947

April 12

April 27

15

1948

March 28

April 10

13

1949

March 29

April 16

18

1950

April 9

April 29

20

1951

April 6

April 25

19

1952

April 9

April 21

12

1953

March 27

April 14

18

1954

April 6

April 19

13

1955

April 2

April 19

17

1956

April 6

April 28

22

1957

April 8

April 23

15

1958

April 18

April 26

8

1959

April 6

April 20

14

1960

April 14

April 25

11

1961

April 2

April 29

27

1962

April 7

April 29

22

1963

April 3

April 18

15

1964

April 11

April 26

15

1965

April 15

May 2

17

1966

April 5

April 17

12

1967

April 6

April 19

13

1968

March 30

1969

April 9

1970

April 16

1971

April 8

1972

April 11

1973

April 11

1974

April 3

1975

April 3

April 19

16

1976

March 23

April 12

20

1977

March 26

April 10

15

1978

April 12

April 23

11

1979

April 2

April 15

13

1980

April 6

April 27

21

1981

April 3

April 28

25

1982

April 7

April 26

19

1983

April 7

April 11

4

1984

April 3

April 13

10

1985

April 7

April 15

8

1986

April 2

April 14

12

1987

March 28

April 7

10

1988

March 31

April 9

9

1989

March 29

April 6

8

1990

March 15

April 1

17

1991

March 29

April 8

10

1992

April 7

April 17

10

1993

April 11

April 30

19

1994

April 5

April 18

13

1995

April 2

April 15

13

1996

April 4

April 22

18

1997

March 26

April 8

13

1998

March 27

April 5

9

1999

April 5

April 20

15

2000

March 17

April 10

24

2001

April 6

April 17

11

2002

April 2

April 17

15

2003

April 2

April 18

16

2004

March 31

April 18

18

2005

April 9

April 20

11

2006

March 30

April 17

18

2007

April 1

April 20

19

2008

March 29

April 18

20

2009

April 1

April 19

18

2010

March 31

April 7

7

2011

March 29

April 16

18

2012

March 20

2013

April 9

2014

April 10

2015

April 10

2016

March 25

2017

March 25

2018

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